Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Sydney Sweeney has responded to backlash over her revealing Novig sports advert by sharing photographs of athletes and sporting legends who have posed nude. The US actress appears naked in the campaign, with footballs and sporting equipment used to cover her body. The advert has prompted criticism from female athletes who accused it of sexualising women rather than celebrating their achievements in sport. Australian water polo player Matilda “Tilly” Kearns, a two-time Olympian, was among those to speak out. Sharing footage of herself training, competing and receiving her Olympic silver medal, she wrote: “I absolutely f****** hate Sydney Sweeney’s new…

Minnesota’s violent crime rate and murder total fell sharply in 2025, returning to levels last seen before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The annual Uniform Crime Report recorded 132 murders, down from 172 in 2024 and the lowest figure since 2019. The violent crime rate fell from 260 to 225.3 offences per 100,000 residents. The BCA initially reported 130 murders before revising the figure. Two additional killings — the June 2025 murders of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark — had been omitted from the first version of the report.…

A police crackdown on unrest in a remote community has resulted in 13 people being charged, with further arrests expected. The charges follow a string of alleged incidents in the community. Police have indicated that the operation is continuing as officers pursue further arrests.

Lithuania is strengthening its preparations along NATO’s eastern edge amid growing concern over the threat posed by Russia. The country’s border is being reinforced against the possibility of Russian tanks. The focus of the preparations is the Lithuanian capital, where Aaron MacLean examined how authorities are responding to the security concerns facing the Baltic region. Lithuania’s efforts reflect wider unease in the Baltics, which lie on the edge of NATO territory and remain alert to the potential danger from Russia.

Major parties and business groups have criticised One Nation’s plan to slash migration, warning that the policy would harm the economy. The groups have taken aim at the proposal, placing its economic impact at the centre of their opposition to reducing migration.

Tom Sandoval is taking a break from dating following his split from Victoria Lee Robinson, telling reporters in Los Angeles that he is concentrating on his close friends instead. The Vanderpump Rules star was approached outside a pre-Emmy party, where he said he was doing well and reconnecting with the people closest to him. Asked whether he planned to begin seeing someone new, Sandoval listed several friends he had been spending time with before confirming that he was stepping away from romance for now. The decision comes after Sandoval filed for a restraining order against Robinson, alleging that she had…

Oakland youth organisations are seeking a share of a proposed Meta settlement worth up to $17.1 billion, arguing that money intended to address the harm associated with social media should support community-based programmes for young people. The agreement, announced in August by California attorney general Rob Bonta and a coalition of state attorneys general, followed allegations that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram features to encourage compulsive use among children and teenagers. California could receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion over the next decade if the settlement is approved. The state’s share is expected to be directed towards preventing or…

A Perth man and his two young children have been found dead inside a villa in Bali in what Indonesian police are investigating as a suspected murder-suicide. Damien John Shaw, 56, and the children, a six-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, were discovered at the property in Kuta at about 10.15am on Sunday. The children were found on the floor inside the villa at Arca Bungalow, while Mr Shaw, who was from Fremantle, was also found dead inside. Police were alerted after Mr Shaw’s wife reportedly heard her daughter crying during a phone call with her husband. When neighbours were…

A US airman has described surviving a fighter jet crash, a broken back and a desperate climb through Iran’s mountains before being rescued in one of the country’s largest military search-and-rescue operations. The two-man F-15E crew was shot down on 2 April while carrying out a strike against industrial facilities linked to Iran’s drone and missile programmes. The aircraft, known by the call sign DUDE 44, came down in a mountainous area south of Isfahan. The pilot, identified as Alpha, and the weapons systems officer, known as Bravo, ejected and landed roughly five miles apart in rugged desert terrain. Bravo…

A Charlie Kirk statue has been vandalised with red spray paint outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, days after the memorial was unveiled. The bronze statue was defaced alongside an accompanying sign, according to Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of the youth-focused organisation Kirk co-founded. “This morning we woke up to radical criminals vandalizing our Headquarters. Crossing over Charlie’s face, scratching out Jesus and the Cross & spraying red paint on his neck,” Mr Bowyer wrote on X. The memorial was unveiled on Thursday to mark one year since Kirk’s death. He was fatally shot while…